Lamb Chops In Orange Chile Sauce

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 large dried ancho chiles
• 1 cup boiling water
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
• 1 large orange, zest of
• 1 large orange, peeled and sectioned without the membrane
• 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
• 1/3 cup fat free chicken broth
• 4 boneless center cut lamb chops, trimmed
• vegetable oil

Recipe

• 1 to prepare marinade, begin by first toasting the chiles in a hot skillet for a minute or so until they begin to emit a peppery fragrance. cast iron works best.
• 2 remove tops from peppers and split into 2 or 3 large pieces. if you want a milder sauce, discard the seeds. place the pieces in a cup of boiling water for 20 minutes to soften.
• 3 loosely drain water and place chiles in a blender with the garlic, salt, pepper, brown sugar, orange zest, orange segments, orange juice concentrate, and broth. blend into a pureé.
• 4 place the marinade in a resealable bag or container. add the chops and marinade in the ice box for 8 to 24 hours. longer really is better.
• 5 to prepare the chops, remove chops from marinade and lightly pat dry. reserve marinade for the sauce.
• 6 heat skillet until hot but not smoking. add a little oil to coat the pan. cook lamb chops for 1 to 2 minutes on each side to get a nice brown sear. reduce the heat to medium and add in the resrved marinade. cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the chops are tender.
• 7 remove chops from pan and place on plate and tent to keep hot. if you would like a thicker more intensely flavored sauce, reduce heat a small amount and cook down for a few minutes.